Catalonia, Syria, Emmanuel Macron: Your Friday Briefing

• Catalonia’s separatist leader, Carles Puigdemont, said that he would let regional lawmakers decide on independence from Spain. Their vote could come as early as today, just as the Spanish Senate approves emergency measures to impose Madrid’s direct rule on the region.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, Sunni Arabs told our correspondent how they were struggling to reclaim relevance under Baghdad’s Shiite-dominated government.

As the Islamic State surrenders more territory in both countries, the Red Cross has forcefully warned all sides that detained ISIS fighters and their families deserve humane treatment.

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It’s the deadliest drug crisis in American history. It kills about 90 Americans every day. Here are answers to some key questions about the crisis.Published OnOct. 26, 2017CreditImage by Michael Bryant/The Philadelphia Inquirer, via Associated Press

New details emerged on the deadly ambush on U.S. and Nigerien soldiers in Niger three weeks ago. French helicopters swooped in to the rescue but left behind four Americans who had lost radio contact. It is unclear whether they were still alive at the time.

In the News

• In Kenya, deadly protests and an opposition boycott marred the presidential election rerun. Voting was postponed until Saturday in some protest-hit counties. [The New York Times]

• In Britain, a senior Conservative Party lawmaker’s letter to universities asking how they teach “Brexit” has ignited an uproar and accusations of McCarthyism. [The New York Times]

• The new Dutch government is seeking to fend off challenges from the right by embracing more conservative policies. [The New York Times]

• Australia’s High Court has disqualified the deputy prime minister and four senators from Parliament in a ruling over their dual citizenships that could cost the government its parliamentary majority. [The New York Times]

• In an Op-Ed, an Italian columnist writes about the state of feminism in Italy. [The New York Times]

A Times article in 1958 described a centuries-old festival dedicated to the flower: “The ancient court fete became the heritage of lords and nobles. Attired in gorgeous robes, and well provided with sake, they composed poems in honor of the chrysanthemums’ beauty.”

Charles McDermid contributed reporting.

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Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online.